Twilight Boutique Case Still at Pre-Trial Stage

The drug trafficking case against the owners and an employee of Twilight Boutique continues to plod through the court system.

At a hearing Nov. 19 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Judge Joan Synenberg continued a pretrial until Dec. 12 for Sean and Sherry Lightner of Columbia Station, both 36 and the husband-wife owners of the business, and for Shane Spohn, 26, an employee who lives in Parma Heights.

The three face felony drug trafficking charges after a police raid at their former business March 2.

The defendants sought the continuance because they are "awaiting independent lab results," the court docket says.

Police say the 586 packs of "herbal incense" -- sold under names like K2 and Spice -- that were confiscated in the raid contained illegal chemicals.

All three defendants are free on bond. 

Linndale Sgt. Tim Franczak, whose department spearheaded the raid, said the defendants are charged with a first-degree felony for selling products that contain an analog of the five chemicals banned by the DEA last year.

Twilight Boutique moved out of its Prospect Road storefront at the end of May. A sign said it was moving to Parma.

The products in question are marketed as herbal incense, but kids and young adults roll the vegetable matter -- which is treated with chemicals -- into cigarettes and smoke them for what they call "a legal high."

K2 and other synthetic marijuana disappeared from the shelves briefly after the ban, but were replaced by similar products containing slightly different chemicals.

The DEA banned the chemicals after growing evidence the they were unsafe and have led to thousands of emergency room visits.